Sweet cherry tree named ‘IFG Cher-two’

ABSTRACT

This invention is a new and distinct sweet cherry tree denominated ‘IFG Cher-two’. The new sweet cherry tree is characterized by producing large dark red fruits having broad shoulders and flat to round base. Fruits ripen early, about Apr. 14, 2014 in Delano Calif. The ‘IFG Cher-two’ has medium firm, medium acid fruit with a good cherry flavor. The tree has a medium low chilling requirement of approximately 300 to 500 hours. Fruits are tolerant of high summer temperatures and produce few doubled or spurred fruits.

Latin name of the genus and species claimed: Prunus avium.

Variety denomination: ‘IFG Cher-two’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new and distinct sweet cherry tree described and claimed hereinoriginated from open pollinated seeds collected in May 2001. The femaleparent is an unidentified sweet cherry tree growing in a commercialorchard located near Bakersfield, in Kern County, Calif. The male parentis unknown. The seeds were stratified, germinated and the resulting oneseedling was planted in a field near Delano, Kern County, Calif. inApril 2002. The present variety of sweet cherry tree was selected as asingle plant in May 2005 and was first asexually propagated in February2009 by grafting onto Prunus mahalab rootstock. It was found toreproduce true-to-type by asexual propagation. All propagation was donenear Delano, Kern County Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Sweet cherries have traditionally been grown in climates with long coldwinters and cool to moderately warm summers. Such climates provideenough cold winter temperatures to allow normal growth to resume in thespring and summer temperatures that are low enough not to induceproduction of unmarketable double or spurred fruit, but it limits theseasonality that cherries are available. The sweet cherry breedingprogram focuses on developing types of cherries that will grow inregions with low winter chilling and high summer temperatures so thatthe fruit will ripen before fruit in traditional growing regions.

The new sweet cherry tree ‘IFG Cher-two’ is characterized by producinglarge dark red fruits having broad shoulders and flat to round base.Fruits ripen early about three to five days ahead of the ‘Brooks’variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,676). The ‘IFG Cher-two’ has medium firm,medium acid fruit with a good cherry flavor. The tree has a medium lowchilling requirement slightly lower than the ‘Brooks’ variety. Itproduces fewer doubled and spurred fruits as compared to the ‘Brooks’variety in high summer temperature regions such as the Southern SanJoaquin Valley of Calif. Fruits of ‘IFG Cher-two’ have medium long,thick stems that remain attached and stay green during storage andshipping.

In comparison to the ‘Brooks’ variety, which is a major variety grown inwarm regions, the present variety ripens about three to five daysearlier and has more desirable darker red skin and flesh. It also hasfewer undesirable doubled and spurred fruits as compared to ‘Brooks’ andhas superior storage characteristics. In comparison to its femaleparent, the present variety has larger, firmer fruits. In comparison tothe ‘Tulare’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,407), the ‘IFG Cher-two’produces larger fruit that ripen approximately six to eight days beforethe ‘Tulare’ variety. The fruit shape of ‘IFG Cher-two’ has a moredesirable flat-rounded shape with broad shoulders and flat stylar endcompared to the more pointed, narrower shoulder shape of the ‘Tulare’variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration in FIG. 1 illustrates in fullcolor ‘IFG Cher-two’, taken from a 12-year old tree. The photograph wastaken outdoors with indirect lighting. The colors are as nearly true asis reasonably possible in a color representation of this type. Anactively growing shoot tip collected at harvest can be seen in the upperportion of the drawing. Typical nature fruit and fruit in cross-sectionare displayed on the lower half of the drawing. Typical cleaned anddried fruit pits are displayed on the lower half of the drawing.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based upon R.H.S. Colour Chart, published in 2001 by The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England.

Throughout this specification subjective description values conform tothose set forth by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources(IBPGR) ‘Cherry Descriptor List’ (Prunus spp.) (1985) which wasdeveloped with full support from the Commission of the EuropeanCommunities (CEC) Programme Committee for Plant Disease ResistanceBreeding and the Use of Genebanks.

The descriptive matter which follows pertains to an ‘IFG Cher-two’ plantgrowing on its own roots in the vicinity of Delano, Kern County, Calif.during 2013 to 2014, and is believed to apply to plants of the varietygrown under similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere:

TREE

-   General:    -   -   Age.—12 yrs. old.        -   Height.—About 3.7 M when pruned.        -   Width.—About 3.0 M when pruned.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous.        -   Density of foliage.—Dense.        -   Form.—Upright.        -   Branching.—Medium.        -   Root stock.—Own root.        -   Resistance to.—Insects: Average typical of Prunus avium            species. Diseases: Average typical of Prunus avium species.        -   Chilling requirements.—Low to Medium.        -   Graft compatibility.—Good: produces compatible graft unions            with Prunus avium, ‘Mazzard’ seedling (non-patented) and            Prunus mahaleb seedlings (non-patented).-   Trunk:    -   -   Trunk diameter of 12-year old trees, 30 cm above the soil            line.—About 18.5 cm.        -   Lenticel size.—Large.        -   Lenticel dimensions.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 0.3            cm.        -   Lenticel shape.—Elliptical shape oriented horizontally.        -   Lenticel color.—Greyed-green: 196C.        -   Trunk surface.—Rough.        -   Outer bark color.—The following colors were observed:            Greyed-green: 198C and Greyed-purple: 187A.

BRANCHES

-   1-year old wood:    -   -   Vertical top growth length.—Short: About 59.7 cm.        -   Horizontal growth length.—Short: About 40.1 cm.        -   Diameter.—Vertical growth: About 1.0 cm. Horizontal growth:            About 0.8 cm.        -   Internode length.—Medium: About 3.8 cm.        -   Number of lenticels.—Medium: About 6 per linear cm.        -   Lenticel size.—Small.        -   Lenticel dimensions.—Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 1 mm.        -   Lenticel shape.—Vertical, slightly oval in shape.        -   Bark color.—The following colors were observed:            Greyed-orange: 175A and 177C.-   2-year old wood:    -   -   Length.—About 50.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.1 cm.        -   Internode length.—About 4.0 cm.        -   Number of lenticels.—Medium: About 6 per linear cm.        -   Lenticel size.—Small.        -   Lenticel dimensions.—Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1 mm.        -   Lenticel shape.—Elliptical shape oriented horizontally.        -   Bark color.—The following colors were observed:            Greyed-orange: 177C and Grey: 201B.

BUDS

-   Vegetative buds:    -   -   Shape.—Oval.        -   Vegetative bud dimensions.—Length: About 1.0 cm. Width:            About 1.0 cm.        -   Vegetative bud burst.—Feb. 25, 2014.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Flower bud dimensions.—Length: About 1.0 cm. Width: About            0.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Elongated.        -   Placement.—At bud positions 1 to 10 on 1-year wood.        -   Average number of flower buds on first year wood.—About 8.        -   Number of flower buds per spur on second year wood.—2 to 3.            Average: About 3.        -   Color.—The following colors were observed: Greyed-orange:            165A and 177A.        -   Flower bud burst.—Feb. 28, 2014.

LEAVES

-   Mature leaves:    -   -   Leaf dimensions.—Length: About 13.7 cm. Width: About 6.3 cm.        -   Leaf shape.—Lanceolate: symmetric on both sides of central            axis.        -   Shape of tip.—Acuminate: broadly.        -   Shape of base.—Oblique.        -   Margin.—Serrated: regular: rounded.        -   Leaf profile.—Involute.-   Upper surface:    -   -   Upper surface pubescence.—None.        -   Upper leaf surface color.—Yellow-green: 146A.        -   Surface texture.—Smooth.-   Lower surface:    -   -   Lower surface pubescence.—Sparse to medium.        -   Lower leaf surface color.—Yellow-green: 147A.-   Petiole:    -   -   Petiole dimensions.—Length: About 3.8 cm. Width: About 0.2            cm.        -   Upper surface of petiole color.—Red-purple: 59B.        -   Lower surface of petiole color.—The following colors were            observed: Greyed-orange: 165A and 165B.        -   Petiole groove.—Medium wide: Approximately 0.7 mm.        -   Petiole pubescence.—Medium dense: only on upper surface.        -   Venation.—Arcuate.        -   Vein color.—Yellow-green: 153C.-   Glands:    -   -   Number of glands.—2 to 3, Average: About 2.        -   Gland dimensions.—Length: About 2.0 mm. Width: About 2.0 mm.        -   Gland shape.—Mixed globose and reniform.        -   Gland location.—On petiole.        -   Gland color.—Red-purple: 60A.        -   Leaf stipule.—Not present.-   Flowers:    -   -   Blooming period.—Early.        -   Blooming dates.—First bloom: Mar. 4, 2014. Full bloom: Mar.            18, 2014.        -   Number of flowers per cluster.—2 to 4. Average: About 3.        -   Corolla.—Composed of unfused petals, somewhat overlapping.        -   Corolla diameter.—About 3.0 cm.        -   Petal number.—5.        -   Petal length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Petal width.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Margin waviness.—Strong.        -   Division of upper margin.—Notched.        -   Color of petal upper surface.—The following colors were            observed: White: N155C and D.        -   Color of petal lower surface.—The following colors were            observed: White: N155C and D.        -   Peduncle.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 0.2 cm.        -   Peduncle color.—Yellow-green: 144A.        -   Number of sepals.—5.        -   Sepal length.—About 0.6 cm.        -   Sepal width.—About 0.5 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Ovate.        -   Sepal color.—The following colors were observed: Upper            surface: Yellow-green: 144D and 145A. Lower surface:            Greyed-purple: 183B and C.        -   Filament.—Length: About 0.6 to 1.4 cm. Width: About 0.3 mm.        -   Filament color.—The following colors were observed: White:            155B and C and D.        -   Anther color.—The following colors were observed:            Grey-orange: 163B and C.        -   Pollen color.—Greyed-orange: 163A.        -   Pollen production.—Medium.        -   Self-compatibility of flowers.—Self-incompatible.        -   Flower compatibility group.—S9S new unidentified allele.

FRUIT

-   General:    -   -   Ripening period.—Early: Approximately: Apr. 24, 2014.        -   Use.—Fresh market.        -   Keeping quality.—Average: Similar to ‘Brooks’ variety.        -   % Titratable acidity.—About 0.92%.        -   Refractometer test.—Soluble solids; Brix — About 17.8.        -   Firmtech II (g/mm).—About 303.        -   Flavor.—Sweet with medium acidity and good cherry flavor.        -   Juice color.—Red: 47A.        -   Juice amount.—Juicy.        -   Eating quality.—Good.-   Stem:    -   -   Stem.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Width: About 0.2 cm.        -   Stem color.—Yellow-green: 144B.        -   Stem cavity.—Medium deep.        -   Stem retention during storage.—Very good, superior to            ‘Brooks’.        -   Stem storage quality.—Good, superior to ‘Brooks’.-   Berry:    -   -   Uniformity of size.—Uniform.        -   Shape.—Flat-round.        -   Fruit weight.—About 9.2 gm.        -   Apical diameter.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Diameter transversely across suture.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Diameter at right angle to suture plane.—About 2.2 cm.        -   Suture.—None.        -   Percent of excessively deep or split sutures.—About 0.0%.        -   Doubles.—About 0.0%.-   Skin:    -   -   Texture.—Smooth, tender.        -   Skin color.—Greyed-purple: 187A.        -   Tendency to tip crack.—Not susceptible.        -   Tendency to stem cavity crack.—Not susceptible.-   Flesh:    -   -   Texture.—Medium firm.        -   Color.—The following colors were observed: Greyed-purple:            187C and Red-purple: 59D.-   Stone:    -   -   Stone dimensions.—Length. About 11 mm. Width: About 8 mm.        -   Type.—Freestone.        -   Surface texture.—Smooth.        -   Stone color when dry.—Orange-white: 158A.        -   Tendency to split.—None.        -   Shape.—Spherical to slightly ovate.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Apex.—Broadly pointed.        -   Ventral edge.—Minimal, flat suture subtended by 2 ridges            converging at base and apex.        -   Dorsal edge.—Smooth, narrow ridge from base to apex.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of sweet cherry tree asherein illustrated and described.